Friday, December 12, 2008

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you 're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hotchocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything.They just make the best of everything that they have.

I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read.

Women and heart attacks (Myocardial Infarction - MI). Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack? You know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest &dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.

'I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion; NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly &warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.

A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried

bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drinks a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation--- the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spaziming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).

This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening -- we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!

I lowered the footrest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else ... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in moment.

I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics ...I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions(probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?) but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny Angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.

'I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.

'Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.'

1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body not the usual men's symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up ... which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before. It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can, take an aspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road.

Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.

Do NOT call your doctor -- he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.

3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied 20 by high blood pressure). MI's are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep.

Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early oneSunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around thesides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke himup, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figureout what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing wasopen. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean itoff. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paintjob that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew?

Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rustpreventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 wascreated in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket ChemicalCompany. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'waterdisplacement' compound. They were successful with the fortiethformulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protecttheir atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40that would hurt you.

When you read the ’shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing thathas ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it worksjust as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop...Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

Here are some of the uses:

1) Protects silver from tarnishing. 2) Removes road tar and grime from cars. 3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings. 4) Gives floor that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery. 5) Keeps flies off cows. 6) Restores and cleans chalkboards. 7) Removes lipstick stains. 8) Loosens stubborn zippers. 9) Untangles jewelry chains.10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.16) Keeps scissors working smoothly?17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for thosenasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm thefinish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Justremember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!20) Gives children’s play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.31) Removes splattered grease on stove. 32) Keeps bath room mirror from fogging.33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).35) Removes all traces of duct tape.36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.37) Florida’s favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you willbe catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than thechemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishingare not allowed in some states.40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed anddried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spotswith WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace themoisture and allow the car to start.

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.P. P. S. I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet over the stove. It isgood for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feelingaway and heals with NO scarring.

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the rum. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.
The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Monday, December 1, 2008

"He kills wildlife by the million in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by the billion and eats them. This in turn kills man by the million, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative and fatal health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently and, once a year, sends out cards praying for 'Peace on Earth'."-- David C. Coats

I found this while browsing through some blogs and found it profound and a little funny! I wonder what God would have to say about it!

The photographs you are about to see show how a very determined male bird tries to save his female mate that has been seriously injured.

The female bird is injured and her condition is not good.
The male bird brings her food and attends to her with love and compassion.
Although he tries to help her, she is too badly injured and dies.
He is shocked over her death and tries desperately to bring her back to life,
trying to pull her up and make her move.
He finally realizes that his sweetheart has passed away and will never come back to him,
and brokenhearted - he cries over his lost love.
He stands by her side, calling and crying for help. He is devastated by her death.
Finally realizing that she will never return to him, he stands beside her lifeless body with great sadness and sorrow, unable to leave her side.

The photos of these two birds are said to have been taken in the Republic of the Ukraine. This male bird was bound and determined to save his female mate. The photographer sold these pictures for a small price to one of the most famous newspapers in France. All the copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day they published these photos.

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die? Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know?? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining. As he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said,

"Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Today, may there be peace within you, may you trust God that you are exactly

where you are meant to be. I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

However, this Prop 8 issue is really worrying me. I just read a friend's (Ben) report of what happened at the LA Temple last night and it's pretty scary:

“As additional information for those who missed the news, I was at the temple assisting in the security efforts and it was quite an experience. Our temple is safe and no damage was done on the grounds.

It was a site I never expected to see. At one point we had let in about 20 police vehicles through the gates because they were afraid their vehicles would be damaged as civilian cars were being vandalized. I removed the Utah plates from my truck just so I could drive through the mess and park blocks away. Two full squads of LAPD in riot gear set up their base inside the temple grounds while SWAT vehicles and hundreds of officers followed the crowds run up Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. I've heard that the crowd was estimated to be over 2,500. The officers inside the temple grounds made a line on the front lawn by the fence. At one point, with 7 news and police helicopters overhead, the crowd began to climb the fence and it looked like there was going to be a lot of trouble. We had it seemed a good forth of a Polynesian ward there so it could have gotten very interesting very fast.

While I was there, I was not aware of anyone actually breaching the fence, but we were asked to move far across the parking lot as they were anticipating the need to shoot tear gas canisters. I never thought I would see the day when police officers would sit perched on the spire of our temple as lookouts.

All of this happened at about 7:30pm. It should be remembered that most likely many of the law enforcement were not in favor of our stance on Proposition 8, but nevertheless, the men and women were there doing their duty and protecting our property. For that we are grateful. And yes, there was an incident with some of our members who had gone to remove the protest signs from the front fence. One of the protesters did initiate physical contact with one of our sisters so the details are uncertain as to whether the response was fully justified. The lesson to be learned is that it's important to anticipate and avoid such confrontational situations. Remember the world is watching our reaction and the media is everywhere. In the end, when we keep our cool, the video footage speaks the truth regarding which side is really intolerant and appears hateful when we simply do not respond or do so in a loving and controlled manner.

I can testify that I felt the presence of others protecting the temple… those we could not physically see there tonight. We are protected and our Father in Heaven is mindful of our efforts and willingness to withstand persecution. As far as the temple being open or not, I do not have any official word. The decision to close it today came from Church headquarters in the afternoon and I imagine they will have to evaluate the situation day to day. Since protesting has occurred the past 2 days, I imagine in will happen again tomorrow and as long as people can keep it up without losing their day jobs.”

This scares me so much, they are protesting with violence and hate, which they are accusing us to have. We just don't want OUR choice to teach our children and believe that marriage should be between a man and a women.

Prophet Thomas S. Monson said, "It is important to understand that this issue for the church has always been about the sacred and divine institution of marriage -- a union between a man and a woman," according to [his] statement.

"Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the church were and are simply wrong. The church's opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians.

"Even more, the church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."

As I was walking home last night, I didn't know about this protest and I couldn't understand the traffic problem I was having to weave through to get home from Bed, Bath and Beyond, a mere 7 blocks from my home. The streets were so jammed, I could barely cross the streets. Now I understand and I'm happy I was safe.

Thank you Heavenly Father for watching out for ALL of us in this terrible time. Please watch over our leaders and loved ones and help us understand and be even more tolerant and loving towards those who are blind to the truths. I know this won't go away, but I sincerly hoope for even ground at the least and understanding and respect for each other!

Strawberries have more anti-aging vitamin C per serving than oranges or grapefruit. And research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who eat foods rich in C have fewer wrinkles and less age-related dry skin than those who don’t. C helps fight free radicals, which damage cells and break down collagen, leading to those dreaded fine (and not-so-fine) lines. For smoother, better-hydrated skin, apply a natural-berry mask like the one below once or twice a week, and eat C-rich foods daily, says Ramona Ionescu, primary aesthetician at New York City’s Cornelia Day Resort.

Smooth it on: Smoothie MaskApply remaining smoothie to your face over a sink (it’s a little drippy at first, but a smooth layer will stay put), and leave it on for about 8 minutes before rinsing off.

Olive Oil:

The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil don’t just benefit you on the inside—they soften your skin, too. “Ancient Romans massaged olive oil into their skin,” Perricone says. “When used topically, olive oil results in smoother, more radiant skin.” Plus, consuming olive oil, a staple in the healthy Mediterranean diet, provides antioxidants to disarm free radicals and reduce inflammation. “Remember, inflammation is not just linked to disease—it’s a major cause of wrinkling and sagging in the skin,” Perricone explains. In addition to working olive oil into your daily diet, apply as a lip gloss and skin soother, as needed. If you have dry skin, you’ll particularly benefit from topical application.

Smooth it on: Olive Oil QuencherDab a pea-size amount of extra-virgin olive oil on lips to hydrate a parched pucker; or use it on rough patches (think elbows and heels), as needed.

Eat it: Olive OilAt dinner, drizzle a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil into a small bowl, and dip whole-grain bread in it to improve your skin from the inside out.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

I bought an artificial tree this year from Target and it should arrive this Monday, Nov. 10th. I'm so excited to have a tree this year, I haven't had one in years! It's a 7 feet Pine-like tree, so it's the Real Green color.

I'm planning on decorating with Silver and White with Lilac detailing. I bought some really pretty lilac shimmery ribbon at Michael's yesterday. I also bought some silver and irridesant pipe cleaners that I'm cutting and twisting into snow flakes.

I got some white pearl ball lights, with these crystal cut ball lights, also from Target.

This is the Angel I bought for the top of the tree.

These are the White Crystal globes I bought, aren't they pretty?

Growing up we always had a real tree, usually a pine. One year Dad bought a Spruce, it was huge (like 7 feet tall and 5 feet around) and really full and stunk up our house so bad you couldn't breathe. It Was Awesome! It was the year after Mom died and Dad was trying to bring in the Christmas sprirt like Mom always did. My Mom loved Christmas, I think it was her favorite holiday. I think it helped that her birthday was the 22nd and we always made it a separate day and NOT themed Christmas. Any way, my Dad did his best and if I remember correctly, it was a great Christmas. I think our major present was a check for a shopping trip though because who's Dad knows what to get his 17 yr old and a 12 yr old daughters?

As always, we all helped decorate it while listening to the Christmas Classics records. Dad did the lights and hung his Royal Blue glass globes and Christine and I did the rest in Mom's homemade clothespin mice and gold ribbons and bows, brass instruments and the gold and red globes.

Back to my tree, I'm planning on going to cost Plus and buying some of the great decorations I found there a couple of week s ago. i have some silver glittery snowflakes I bought last year. Have I mentioned I Love Silver and Lilac? The tree skirt is going be made out of a silver table clothe I found at Ross with white snow batting underneath. Of course when it is All done I will post pictures.

I will most likely never write about poltics again here, because I just don't. However, today California had a huge victory regarding protecting the Definition of Marriage as God intended - between one man and one woman.This proposition has really torn apart our state. Family values and religion shouldn't be defined by government, it should stay defined by God. Today, I saw a very distrubing commerical posted on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q28UwAyzUkE ). It deplicts two missionaries knocking on a door and say they are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They tell the lesbian couple “we are here to take away your rights.”They enter the house, take away the women’s rings, and ransack their home looking for their marriage license. Finding it, they tear it up.At the close of the commercial, the missionaries walk away, saying “that was too easy, yeah, what should we ban next?”

This almost brought me to tears. We Latter-Day Saints have never been disrespectful of anyone's right to choose, even if we don't agree, we believe in freedom of choice above all. It saddens me that someone could come up with something so hurtful and I wonder if they really thought about what it would do. Did they think it would change the minds of the voters? In fact, by the comments on the video posting, the exact opposite is happening. The comments are a range of "the makers of this commerical are bigots and are untrufully deplicting the Mormon religion" to "do your research next time and you'll find out the Mormons would never do such a thing!" I'm happy that Proposition 8 - Protect Marriage passed and the definition of marriage is going to be changed back to the original text.

I may have a different view on the subject than people think - I believe in the right to choose, I believe couples who are gay should be able to have the same basic rights as everyone else, as common law partners and get married under law instead of religion. I believe the churches of this world, especially LDS temples should NOT be forced to perform marriages for those who do not abide by the religious standards and values upheld within that sect. I do not believe it should be taught in schools to children, it is something which should be taught in homes. Schools are not allowed to quote the Lord's Prayer and have no right to teach our precious youth about reilgous subjects. We can't even tell someone Merry Christmas without being told we're being facist. "Christmas Season" is now called "The Holiday Season". How much more tolerant of others do we need to be when our belief's are not tolerated? What are people celebrating for if they don't believe in Christ? It's a celebration of his birthday. I don't recognize people's birthday's I don't know. Why are they? Sometimes I wish Christ's birthday was more like Hannuka and wasn't a stolen day by the Commerical and Advertising Agencies. It is a scared day for me.

I just makes me really sad! God is being forgotten by the souls he created! I'm glad I'm not following suit! God is in my every day, every thought, every breath! I thank him for my understanding of tolerance and love and I hope that I may do even better!

Monday, November 3, 2008

The last couple of days, he's been on my mind pretty consistantly, maybe because I've been blogging about my past.

Any way, I was browsing around on a comic site and found this

< -- and it completely reminded me of Hockey Night in Canada (Saturday night) at our house. During hockey season, every Satuarday night or afternoon my Dad would sit down in his rocker/recliner and 'watch' his game. Now, 'watch' is in quotes because after about 10 minutes into the game, my Dad would proceed to fall asleep. He would recline the rocker and snore so loudly you could hear him outside with the windows closed! AND every time, my sister and I, sometimes my Mom, would 'try' to change the channel only to wake him up in protest that he was 'watching that!' I sent my Dad this comic and a note reminding him of these times and he replied: He doesn't watch hockey anymore, now he goes fishing out with the boat! I'm sure, however, on Suday afternoons after church, he still falls asleep in his chair and complains if someone turns off the TV. It's his lullaby or his background noise.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

I was just reading over some of my older posts. There are so many things missing from my childhood. I haven’t been very good at keeping a consistent journal, so there are many gaps!

Here are a few entries for sparking:

- Young Women’s Summer Camp, June 1989. It the summer just after Mom passed away, we were camped just outside Waterton National Park, about 20 minutes away from Cardston. We hiked up the mountain. It was so beautiful up there, looking over the landscape of the Rocky Mountains. What I remember most was finding out I was afraid of heights and looking over the edge of the trail we were descending back down. It was a cliff face, straight and straight down with a path of about 6-7 feet wide. I was so sacred; I literally shook from head to toe, through and through. My emotions were not easily controllable, Mom had just died 2 months previously, and I froze and cried hysterically. The group stayed and said a prayer that I would be able to move and GET OFF that mountain. I remember feeling a calm come over me and opening my eyes and knowing I could move. I started to walk, slowly, and I went down the hill. There was the most amazing stream and little waterfall cascading over the rocks. It was so beautiful, like a little reward for believing. That picture is so clear in my mind as I remember this. GOD is so wonderful!

- Especially For Youth, Calgary July 1989 – Kristen Sorenson was our Leader and theme that year was “Forever My Friend”. Kenneth Cope spoke at our Testimony meeting and I still have the tape of that talk, it on the tape Mom left for me. I don’t remember tons of it. I remember being in the elevator with one of the counselors, he told us to jump while the elevator was moving and it gives you quite the jolt when it actually stops. I also remember talking to Kristen Sorenson, our floor leader, about Mom and everything that went along with that. The troubles I was having with Dad and not being able to understand my feelings of relief when Mom finally passed. I struggled with the relief feeling for many years. I missed her so much but I was so happy she wasn’t suffering anymore and that she was finally in Heaven and free. I remember Kristen making me feel alright for those feelings. I came away from EFY knowing I was going to be OK.

- Pioneer Trek, in the wilds between Cardston and Magrath, August 1987.Trek was HARD!!! Here is how Trek works -- over a Friday morning through a Monday afternoon – you dress up as pioneers in long dresses with aprons and bonnets, sturdy shoes, no make-up, no deodorant, you can’t bring anything that smells to keep the animals/bears away. You get ONE ‘bath’ – you wash your hair with Sunlight in the cold river water.

** On the first day, you are divided into families of a Ma and Pa and several children, we had 10 kids. Then, you travel until you get to your base camp, about 5miles, pushing a ‘Handcart’ in the Wilderness, which your family has just built. Now, a Handcart is a cart which consists of a four walled box on two spindled wheels with a cart wide 'handle' for pulling, it holds ALL of your family’s belongings. We were allowed to bring sleeping blankets (not a bag and no pillow), a Sunday Dressing outfit with shoes, a brush, tooth brush (without paste), Meal utensils, water canteen, scriptures, journal and pen, feminine products if needed, (heaven help you!), a roll of T.P., a camera and great attitude! On the first night, we slept under the stars at around midnight in the forest, wherever you could find a smooth spot to lay your very tired self down after downing some beef broth soup!

** When we woke up with the Sun on Saturday morning around 6:00am, we promptly discovered we had been sleeping on tree branches and very near cow pies. At this point we really couldn’t have cared any less; we still weren’t at our base camp! So we get up and have a measly breakfast and get back on Trek! The second day was harder, we were tired and sore and hungry. About half way through the morning, it started raining, Bless God for giving us a True experience! Then the worst happened, one by one the guys were picked off the handcart to symbolize them going off to war. This was aptly called “The Women’s Pull”, only the girls were allowed to push the carts, no matter how tired we were or strong we weren’t. This, of course, brought everyone to tears. And then there was the hill, a very steep hill, which the ‘women’ had to get the full Handcart up! This was the hardest thing I had ever done in my 14 years of life. It had just rained so the dirt was now clay mud, very thick and slippery, we were already dirty but now we were caked in muck! We pushed and yelled and cried and Thanked God when we made it to the top. He blessed us with a sunlit view of the mountains, including a rainbow. I think I finally understood a bit of what the pioneers went through, I knew I really didn’t know because they traveled from Missouri to Utah through snow and rain storms, they lost loved ones to sickness and mobs. I had a greater love for their sacrifice! Even now as I write this, my eyes are tearing, remembering. We finally made it to base camp around 11:00 am and set up camp, had lunch, played some games, washed our hair in the river, caught and killed a turkey for Sunday dinner, had supper and went to bed tired as logs!

** Sunday morning was awesome, we prepared the Turkey dinner, then we got ready in our Sunday dress and went to sacrament meeting in the afternoon, where we sang hymns and had an object lesson about being lost spiritually. In the lesson, all the kids were blind-folded and told to find their families. It was pretty awesome and then we were allowed to go off and find a quiet place to think, read, journal, anything centered on pondering. I remember Dad was there, but in another family, as a priesthood holder. He came and found me and we talked for a little while. I don’t remember about what though. After a few hours, our Ma’s and Pa’s came round to find us and bring us back for a testimony meeting. It was the most spiritual meeting I had been to in my 14 years and I cried the Whole time! After, we went back to our family camps and had dinner together and went to sleep.

** On Monday, the last day, we were allowed a little leisure time, I remember going back to my quiet place and journaling more. I have no idea where that journal is. Dad came to find again and said it was time to go and I didn’t want to leave this and go home, but I eventually did. When I got home, I remember sitting to the kitchen counter at our farm house and telling Mom all about it. Wow, that memory is so clear - I can see her face right Now! ♥ and I’m tearing again!

1. Gain much needed Energy2. Gain time to study Book of Mormon3. Gain Circle of Great Friends and Create Better Relationships4. Gain Eternal Perspective5. Emergency / Rainy Day Fund6. Track my Progress and Get to KNOW Me!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument; the one friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything wrote in the sand: “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking until they found an oasis where they decided to take a bath, the one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and starting drowning, but the friend saved him! After he recovered form the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: “Today my best friend saved my life.”

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone, why?

“The friend replied, “When someone hurts us we should write it down in the sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

We must learn to our hurts in the sand and to carve our benefits in stone. -- Unknown

Extroversion:You have medium extroversion.You are not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. However, you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time."

Conscientiousness:You have high conscientiousness. Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life. Most things in your life are organized and planned well. However, you borderline on being a total perfectionist.

Agreeableness:You have high agreeableness. You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly. Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone. You give people the benefit of the doubt and do not mind giving someone a second chance.

Neuroticism:You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to Experience:Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. However, if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

I went to a Halloween Dance/Activity on Friday night. I haven’t been to one in a few years and I actually dressed up!My costume could be many things:A Hollywood Starlet going to the Oscars,What I would have worn to Prom if our school had one, ORCinderella.What do you think?

It was a fun night. I went with my friends Annelise LeCheminant and Sandra Gierisch, met Lisa Rogers, also in the photo above. I saw friends I haven’t seen in many months, Ben, Lincoln, Kennrick and Kelly. I danced a little. It wasn’t like any of the dances I’ve been to before though. It was weird and slightly uncomfortable, but still fun. I played ‘Rock Band’ with Ben, Annelise, Sandra and Stephanie, which was more fun than I anticipated. I was pretty good for never having played before! It was a late night . . . home by 2:30am and in bed at 3:00am.

It took a little while to take my hair back down!All in All it was fun! I really need to socialize more and get to know MORE people better. I want to always have something going on the weekend, I need to be more active!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Real love is not just how you feel about your partner. It’s much more how your partner makes you feel about yourself.

Real love is not about losing yourself in your partner. It’s about becoming true to yourself with your partner.

Real love is not about how great your partner is. It’s about how great you can become along side your partner.

Real love is not just about how much you love your partner. It’s about how your partner helps you love yourself.

Real love is not just about your partner finding room in his or her heart for you. It’s about your partner finding room in his or her life for your energy, drive, ambition, passions, interests, and needs.

Real love is not just based on how good your partner is "deep down". It’s based on how much you actually experience your partner’s goodness as you live your life together.

Real love is not based on how your partner makes you hungry to be with him or her. It’s based on how much your partner makes you feel at home when you are with each other.

Real love is not about the love you say you share . It’s about the life you really do share, fully, equally, deeply.

Real love is about treating your partner the way you’d want to be treated.

There are 16 letters in your name.Those 16 letters total to 84.There are 5 vowels and 11 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 3

The characteristics of #3 are: Expression, verbalization, socialization, the arts, the joy of living.

The expression or destiny for #3: An Expression of 3 produces a quest for destiny with words along a variety of lines that may include writing, speaking, singing, acting or teaching; our entertainers, writers, litigators, teachers, salesmen, and composers. You also have the destiny to sell yourself or sell just about any product that comes along.

You are imaginative in your presentation, and you may have creative talents in the arts, although these are more likely to be latent. You are an optimistic person that seems ever enthusiastic about life and living. You are friendly, loving and social, and people like you because you are charming and such a good conversationalist. Your ability to communicate may often inspire others. It is your role in life to inspire and motivate; to raise the spirits of those around you.

The negative side of number 3 Expression is superficiality. You may tend to scatter your forces and simply be too easygoing. It is advisable for the negative 3 to avoid dwelling on trivial matters, especially gossip.

Your Soul Urge number is: 5

A Soul Urge number of 5 means: The 5 soul urge or motivation would like to follow a life of freedom, excitement, adventure and unexpected happening. The idea of travel and freedom to roam intrigues you. You are very much the adventurer at heart. Not particularly concerned about your future or about getting ahead, you can seem superficial and unmotivated.

In a positive sense, the energies of the number 5 make you very adaptable and versatile. You have a natural resourcefulness and enthusiasm that may mark you as a progressive with a good mind and active imagination. You seem to have a natural inclination to be a pace-setter. You are attracted to the unusual and the fast paced.

You may be overly restless and impatient at times. You may dislike the routine work that you are engaged in, and tend to jump from activity to activity, without ever finishing anything. You may have difficulty with responsibility. You don't want to be tied down to a relationship, and it may be hard to commit to one person.

Your Inner Dream number is: 7

An Inner Dream number of 7 means: You dream of having the opportunity to read, study, and shut yourself off from worldly distractions. You can see yourself as a teacher, mystic, or ecclesiastic, spending your life in the pursuit of knowledge and learning.

Your date of conception was on or about 22 May 1972 which was a Monday.You were born on a Monday under the astrological sign Aquarius.Your Life path number is 7.

Your fortune cookie reads: Something you lost will soon turn up.Life Path Compatibility:You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 4 & 22.You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 9.You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 3, 6, 8 & 11.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2441725.5.The golden number for 1973 is 17.The epact number for 1973 is 25.The year 1973 was not a leap year.Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/3/1973 and ending 1/22/1974.You were born in the Chinese year of the Ox.Your Native American Zodiac sign is Otter; your plant is Fern.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Parmuthy, the fourth month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 10 AdarI 5733.Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 11 AdarI 5733.The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.17.19.10.1 which is12 baktun 17 katun 19 tun 10 uinal 1 kinThe Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Monday, 9 Muharram 1393 (1393-1-9).The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 22 April 1973.The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 29 April 1973.The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 7 March 1973.The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 10 June 1973.The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 17 June 1973.The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 27 September 1973.The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 17 April 1973.The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 6 March 1973.

As of 10/24/2008 5:00:33 PM EDT --You are 35 years old.You are 428 months old.You are 1,862 weeks old.You are 13,038 days old.You are 312,929 hours old.You are 18,775,740 minutes old.You are 1,126,544,433 seconds old.

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.10293542074364 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)Your lucky day is Saturday.Your lucky number is 4 & 8.Your ruling planet(s) is Saturn & Uranus.Your lucky dates are 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th.Your opposition sign is Leo.Your opposition number(s) is 1.Today is one of your lucky days!

There are 111 days till your next birthdayon which your cake will have 36 candles.Those 36 candles produce 36 BTUs,or 9,072 calories of heat (that's only 9.0720 food Calories!) .You can boil 4.11 US ounces of water with that many candles.In 1973 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.In 1973 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.In 1973 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%).In 1973 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000).In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.In 1973 the population of Australia was approximately 13,614,344.In 1973 there were approximately 247,670 births in Australia.In 1973 in Australia there were approximately 112,700 marriages and 16,195 divorces.In 1973 in Australia there were approximately 110,822 deaths.

Your birthstone is Amethyst.The Mystical properties of Amethyst: Amethyst is used to increase spiritually Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone: Bloodstone, Onyx, MoonstoneYour birth tree is Cedar, the Confidence, of rare beauty, knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, wants to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy, optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

There are 62 days till Christmas 2008!There are 75 days till Orthodox Christmas!The moon's phase on the day you were born was waxing gibbous.